


Among the Mushrooms: The Kingdom of Castanet

by Atomitrox



Category: Harvest Moon, Harvest Moon: Animal Parade
Genre: Betrayal, Drama, F/M, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-10 23:33:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17435606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atomitrox/pseuds/Atomitrox
Summary: It's been two years since the world was engulfed in nuclear fire, but Castanet and those who live there remain untouched by the devastation. In a world full of unpredictability, Kasey, Gill, and Luna toil in their pursuits of happiness and purpose.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: Despite the post-apocalyptic framing device, this story has a mixture of lightheartedness and drama. Fans of Harvest Moon will be able to recognize the settings and the characters. Also, I don't own Harvest Moon, but you already knew that.

_"For you, the day Bison graced your village was the most important day of your life. But for me, it was Tuesday."_

\- M. Bison

**Prologue: Tuesday**

_Date: June 24_ _th_   _2008_

To most people, the day would have been extraordinarily beautiful, but to the people of Castanet, it was perfectly ordinary. As Kasey McCarthy walked down the road from his farmland to Harmonica town, he couldn't help but smile as he inhaled the mixed aroma of the salty sea and the flowers that grew near the roadside.

 _What a beautiful day,_  he thought to himself. It saddened him that the citizens of the island had probably grown so accustomed to the beauty of the land that they may have been desensitized to it.

_I hope I never stop appreciating this place like I do now._

Though he was tired from the morning's work, he began to hum to himself as he walked; a lighthearted tune that his mother sang to him long ago. It brought a smile to his face; a slightly sad one, but nobody would have picked up on that.

As he turned the corner of the rock formation that the path wrapped around, connecting the farmlands to the town, he arrived at Harmonica Town, a colorful, coastal village on the southern end of Castanet Island, where the homes and business stacked by the streets like building blocks… but when he looked over the town, he could tell that something was wrong. The township looked as pretty as it always did, but the streets were mysteriously empty. None of the children were playing, none of the wives were gossiping… hell, he didn't even see any birds. It was as if the world took a day off.

"Hello?" Kasey called out, expecting somebody, anybody, to answer. Nothing. It was just too creepy. He had never seen the town that empty, except during the blizzard last winter. Even during the later hours of the night, there would usually be at least one person outside enjoying the stars.

 _What the hell is going on? On a beautiful day like this, nobody is outside?_  As he passed Simon's photography shop, he saw that the "closed" sign was still up.  _That's not right._   _Hmm… I better find Gill. He'd know what's up._

Town Hall was practically five steps away and when he tried to enter, the door was locked. Now that wasn't right either. Gill would never skip work and it wasn't Sunday. He looked in through the hall's window to see that the room was dark and nobody was at the desk. Where was Gill? If he wasn't at work, something had to be very wrong. The man's life ran like clockwork.

He sprinted up the hill to Gill's house and began banging on the door. "Gill? Mayor Hamilton? Anybody?" Nobody answered. When Kasey looked through the windows, he saw that nobody was inside the house, or at least in the main room.

As he turned around, the emptiness of the town made him feel even more distressed. It was like he was the only one left on the island… no, that was stupid. He hadn't been to Flute Fields or the Garmon Mines districts yet and Molly was still at the house, as he saw her not ten minutes ago. Maybe there was some festival that he wasn't told about? No, that couldn't be it either. He had them all marked down on his calendar. And it wasn't anybody's birthday either. Even if it was, it wouldn't justify the disappearance of an entire town.

 _What to do, what to do… Luna._  Along with Gill, she was another good friend, making her the next person on his list to check up on. He rushed to Sonata Tailoring and began banging on the door, shouting for Luna, Candace, Shelly, anybody to answer. Nothing. The shop would never have been closed on a Tuesday either, but that day, it was locked. After a minute of shouting and knocking, Kasey just stopped, resting his head and fists on the door frame. What was a curious thing at first was suddenly a nightmarish situation. Where the hell was everybody? But the nightmare ended with the hand that touched his shoulder.

"Kasey?"

He jumped at the touch, staggering backward some, but he felt relieved when he saw who it was. "Gill!"

Sure enough, his friend stood there, the sun bouncing off of his kept, blonde hair and greyish-blue eyes. As usual, he was wearing a button-down shirt under one of his sweater vests, not seeming to be bothered by the 90-degree weather, but none of that mattered. Kasey embraced the man in a quick hug that took him by shock.

"Are… are you okay?" he asked, his voice as monotonous and steady as it always was. "About the news, I mean. Are you okay?"

"What news? Gill, where is everybody? Why aren't you at work? Why is this place a ghost town?" So many questions, but Gill's eyes widened.

"Oh, you haven't heard." His eyes fell as he stared at the ground. The worry came back to Kasey. Something  _was_ wrong.

"Gill, what's wrong? Where is everybody?" No answer. Gill just kept staring at the ground. "Did somebody die?" Oh, did he regret that question later.

"They're all divided between the inn and the bar. Father is at the inn, so he sent me to keep watch over the situation at the bar. Most of the residents of Flute Fields and the Garmon Mine districts haven't been alerted yet, so I don't know-"

"Gill!" Kasey grabbed his friend's arm and squeezed it, reminding him of one of his first question. "What news? What's going on?"

Gill let out a long, troubled sigh. "You're better off seeing it for yourself. Follow me." He took Kasey by the wrist and began dragging him to the wrist to the bar. "I must warn you though, it's a bit… graphic."

 _What is he even talking about?_ But he followed.

When he entered the inn, he was taken by surprise to see that half of Harmonica Town was clustered into the bar, all crowded around something near the bar's back wall. It was weird, since the bar was never open that early, but there they all were. But what were they surrounding? Standing on his toes, Kasey could see that it was a television with a screen full of static that they were standing around. The residents surrounding it were either watching the blank screen intently, softly murmuring to each other, or crying.

 _What the… what's all this?_ he thought to himself. Most people on Castanet weren't even avid TV watchers, but that day, they were all waiting around for something to happen.

"Find another one," Chase asked in a hoarse tone from somewhere within the group of people. Kasey spotted him near the TV, looking down at the man who was fiddling with the dials.

"Give me a minute," barked a gruff voice that belonged to Hayden. "They're all going dead. Somebody keep playin' with reception while I change channels."

"What are they looking for?" Kasey asked, but he saw that Gill was moving to the back of the room to talk with Chase and Hayden. Once he arrived there, he calmly talked with Chase, and Kasey saw that the strawberry-blonde haired man's eyes looked kind of red and strained. Was he crying earlier or something like everybody else? But at that moment, he looked relatively composed. Wanting to ask them what had happened, Kasey took a few steps forward before somebody embraced him from the side.

"Selena?" He easily recognized her strong embrace and her lily scented perfume before he turned to see her cocoa colored skin and her crimson colored hair that she kept wrapped tied up. Normally, he would have gotten a kick over her hugging him like that, her provocatively clothed body squeezing up against him, but not that day. Something was off with her, as it was with everyone else. He turned to hug her back when he saw that she was still crying profusely.

 _That's new._  He had never seen her so sad… or sad at all, really. "Selena, what's wrong?"

"It happened. I can't believe it, but it happ- It happ-" She stopped trying to talk to him and continued to cry softly into his shoulder. All he could do was hold her.

"What happened?" he asked, only to receive an incomprehensible answer. Before he knew it, Kathy was at this side now too, giving him a quick, yet strong hug before taking to Selena's side. The two were really good friends, so he figured that she would take care of the crying Selena from there. But as he looked into the blonde's eyes, he could see that while she wasn't crying, she looked scared. But of what?

"I'll take care of her," she whispered to him. "Sorry. I know how hard this must be for you."

"Thanks…" He still wasn't sure what he was thanking her for. He could have asked, but he decided to let her be for now.

She took over holding Selena for him and Kasey began making his way to the back of the room. The TV was still full of static without any picture, but the citizens were still watching and waiting. One of them was Luna, who was crouching in front of it, looking up at the screen. Normally, Kasey could have picked her out of a crowd by just her pink pigtails alone, but since the already short woman was crouched in front of the television, he had not seen her until then. But for once, she wasn't in the center of the action, talking or trying to get attention. She just sat there in a strange silence that was not true to her nature. He knelt next to her, not sure how to approach this anomaly.

"Luna?" he said, touching her shoulder lightly. Upon saying her name, he was bombarded by another tight hug. Like Kathy, Kasey could see that the young woman had not been crying.

 _She never cries either,_ he thought to himself. But she did look sad. Her porcelain-colored skin and sapphire eyes gleamed in the lights of the bar. Even with her cute, pink hair with the flower barrettes and her pastel-colored lolita dress, the sadness on her face outshone the cheery way she dressed.

"Oh my Goddess, Kasey, I am so sorry," she whispered into his ear as she held him close to her. "It's… I can't believe they actually did it. It's like... How could they?"

"Huh? What did they do? Who is 'they'?" He was getting tired of nobody telling him what had happened that would warrant such an emotional reaction. But in response, Luna's mouth fell agape.

"Oh wait, you don't know?" For once, the usually vocal girl seemed at a loss for words. "Kasey… I don't even know where to begin. It-"

"Stop, we got something!" Chase shouted. Everybody fell silent as the TV began to show some signs of life. The channel that they had found was coming in poorly, the picture fuzzy, but a voice came through.

"-still no word from the United States Government or any oth-" The audio cut off, but the visual, from what he assumed, was from a helicopter cam that was giving a bird's eye view of what looked to be a massive, smoldering crater with debris scattered about.

"Oh no… It can't be…" he murmured hollowly. Everything was beginning to make sense, but he couldn't believe it. He was in such a state of shock that he was struggling to comprehend any of it. It was then when he noticed the caption at the bottom of the screen that read, " **Ground Zero: Chicago, IL**."

"Holy shit…" He stood up, blankly staring into the TV as its picture began to die again. It couldn't be real… It was impossible.

"I'm sorry." Gill was at his side again, his hand resting on Kasey's shoulder as he tried to offer some compassion. "It… it wasn't just them either. It's all over the world. They… they all got hit within a matter of hours. I wish I could tell you more, but I really don't know-"

"I gotta get home." He pushed his way through the cluster of people and threw open the door as his adrenaline began to pump through his veins. "I'm sorry, but I have to get home!"

He began to run. Suddenly, the beauty of Castanet meant little to him; it contrasted with everything he was feeling and what was happening. He just had to get home; back to where his sister was.  _I have to tell her. No idea how I'm going to break it to her, but I have to tell her._  After sprinting faster than he ever had before in his life, he finally reached his home, Sinatra Ranch. The crops were growing as they should have been and the animals were grazing, ignorant of the events of the morning. Ignoring them, he burst through the front door.

He was greeted by the sound of the old radio in the kitchen. The voices were garbled, but he caught a few words.  _"Warheads." "United States." "Iraq." "North Korea." "China." "Radiation." "Billions."_

_Oh no. She already knows._

Kneeling next to the radio was his sister, motionless. Her head was hanging, so he couldn't see her face, but he already knew that her expression was one of desperation. Slowly, he approached her, knelt next to her, and took her hands in his.

"Hey, Molls," he whispered, trying to smile, though for once, he couldn't. Not then.

"They're all dead… all of them. Our family, our friends…" She wouldn't look up at him, but she just kept crying. So Kasey did all that he could for her. As she rested her forehead on his chest, he embraced her. He wouldn't cry.

 _Not now. Not in front of Molly at least._  He had to be strong for his older sister. And unlike the other hardships he had faced, that one may never end. He would have to keep being strong for her sake and for his own.

_Wow._

Though he felt such weighing on him, the day outside was still beautiful. So strange… if it weren't for the news, it just would have been another Tuesday.

* * *

_Date: July 15th_   _2008_

_I guess I might as well write in this. Might as well have a testimony for posterity, assuming that there is any. Mayor Hamilton handed these journals out to all of us a few days after it happened. They're pretty nice looking too; moleskin and everything. He said that they were originally a gift for the townspeople this Christmas, but he decided to hand them out early. I guess he figured that the catharsis of writing would help or something. But given that the world is dying a slow, painful death, maybe he figured that we need them to pacify us. I don't know about that though. So far, it's not making me feel any better at all._

_But I digress. My name is Kasey S. McCarthy, I'm 22 years old, hailing from Chicago, Illinois, and I am the proud owner of Sinatra Ranch on the lovely island of Castanet… for what that's worth anymore. Who knows how much longer we got at this rate._

_What happened? About a month ago on the 24_ _th_   _of June, nearly every nuclear warhead on the planet was launched, fired, or dropped within a two-hour span, according to reports that we've picked up on the radio and TV. In hindsight, the buildup should have been obvious. For decades, there has been tension between the various countries over numerous political issues, but it didn't get really bad until after 9/11. From that point on, it got worse between the governments, concerning economics, religion, nationalism, the possession of nuclear weapons themselves… I couldn't explain it well enough. Not as well as Gill can. The man is a genius. But things began to spiral when it was made public that Iraq, Iran, and Cuba all, in fact, had nuclear arms. Then, North Korea made the announcement that they would "make a show of force" against various countries, such as South Korea, The United States, and others. After that, there was some sort of leak that reported that China was working with them on some sort of top secret project. It was terrifying, but I told myself things would be alright. I mean, we survived one cold war, right? Surely we could survive another. Even so, the paranoid side of me splurged on a geiger counter just in case. I'm glad I did too. It actually comes in handy now._

_We don't know who launched nukes first, but as I said, every warhead on the planet within a matter of two hours was launched at pretty much every country on earth. Some malfunctioned and fell places where they shouldn't have, but in the end, the Earth was blown to shit and whatever didn't get blown up has been poisoned with radiation. Not to say that there aren't any survivors out there (radio and television reports suggest that there are plenty) and there are some governments that are intact, but we're no longer thriving. Not even close. Not with radiation and most technology frying from the aftereffects (luckily, none landed close enough to us to ruin our stuff.) When I can find a radio station from time to time, most of the stuff I find is either garbled or useless information that we've already learned. I've heard conspiracy theories about how the reason all of the warheads were launched within two hours was because of the Illuminati's involvement, but I left my tinfoil hat back in America, so I have trouble believing it. At this point, speculation is pointless. It's all about surviving._

_Reactions here have been… mixed. Not to say that we're all skipping through the daisies, because we aren't. But some people are handling it better than others. Because the island is largely self-sufficient, running on wind, mill, solar, and oil power, and since we support the people on the island who provide us with said utilities, we have no shortage of power, so for some people here, life has changed very little. We still work our jobs, but there's an overlying fear and uncertainty that sits like a cloud over our world. It's even harder for those of us with family friends on the outside. I think of my family a lot. Mom, Kevin… even Dad. But to put it bluntly, they're most likely dead. Hard as it is to think about, I accept it. It's just so much easier to block it all and do what I can to not think about it. I'm sure that's not healthy, but this town needs me and my ranch. so I gotta stay focused on that._

_Obviously, not everybody is taking it well though. Molls still spends most the day in bed, crying. She'll come out of it when she's ready, but I don't know what to say to her. We've never been close and she was only visiting on vacation when she came here. She has no connection with this place or with these people. To feel so cut off like that… I could never understand that. I mean, I did for a little bit a few years ago, but I always bounce back. But Molls... never been the most social of butterflies. The only thing I can do is be there for her when she needs me. I just really hope I can help. Otherwise, most of my friends seem alright (all things considered), but I have noticed that Selena has been very moody lately. So strange to see such a confident person shut down like that. But still, the town continues to function… for now._

_There is a question though that has plagued us all: where are the side-effects of a nuclear holocaust that we should be dealing with by now? No fallout, no radiation in the ocean, no nuclear winter… our island seems to be unaffected. But if you take a boat over to Hazelwood, that's a different story. The water is unsafe to drink and fallout has rained on their factories. Things are up and about there now, but why was it so different between these islands? Some people are beginning to speculate that the Harvest Goddess is protecting us. It's possible, I guess. I mean come on, I had to ring all those bells to restore the island or whatever and I've seen the Harvest Goddess with my own eyes. I don't doubt that she can help us. However, I don't know where she is. I used to see her at her spring, but now she's gone without warning. So many questions I would have asked, but now… that's all I really have in the end. Questions…_

_If there is a silver lining to this dark, dark cloud, at least I'm trapped on this island; this slice of heaven. Throughout my life, I have never felt more "right" than I have here on Castanet. I just hope that if we are being protected by some sort of outside force, it will continue to keep us safe. And hopefully, we can keep it safe in return. There have been several people who have washed up on this island who we took in, but will there be others who will try to take what we have? If history has taught us anything, desperate times cause people to do desperate things. If mass amounts of people were to find out that this place was a safe haven, what would happen next? So long as this place is safe, I'll be happy. And I'll do whatever I can to make sure it stays this way and that we can survive._

_If anybody is reading this (assuming that you're not one of my friends going through my stuff… seriously, stop going through my stuff), hopefully things have gotten better. For now, I will continue to write, chronicling my life since the nukes. I just hope it will somehow help me find some sort of peace…_


	2. Chapter 2

Kasey's Journal

_Date: July 20_ _th_   _2008_

_Things have been alright… well, as well as they can be, all things considered. Normally, I wouldn't expect my life to change much in five days since I last wrote, but since the world pretty much ended, days feel like weeks and this past week has felt like an eternity. It's almost been a month, so that's eternity times four. That's a long time. If it weren't for my friends, I'd probably have gone stir-crazy. I wish Molls would talk with me, but she's still shut up in her room most of the day. She's lost a lot of weight too. Even when I made her a chicken pot pie (her favorite) last night, she only took a few bites. Talk about a waste of a chicken. More for me then, I guess._

_I guess the loss of one chicken isn't that big of a deal. Sinatra Ranch has been doing well. Farming came easy to me (a lot easier than I deserved), thanks to all the help I had from Gill, those old books, and Finn, the sprite that followed me around for a while. He was pretty good at helping me figure things out in the beginning. But now, I've been running this place on my own, growing vegetables in bulk and raising a bunch of livestock and chickens. I actually started to make a healthy profit, but I don't know how things will work out now. Mayor Hamilton asked that I start putting more food in cold and/or dry storage so that we never run out. Also, I think Gill said something about using food as a bartering tool with Hazelwood. Between the other two farms and I, I guess we'll have enough to go around, but Gill did seem concerned. I don't blame him. He's carrying the weight of the entire town on his shoulders. Honestly, he does so much of the work, he should probably be the mayor, haha._

_Looking at the numbers I'll need to meet, I might have to get some farm hands. Molls may be of help there, but I know she'll hate it. She never wanted to work here; too smart for this sort of thing, she'd probably say, and she's not wrong. But we did get a few castaways washed on our shores, so maybe they'll want a job. I just hope that my career doesn't kill me. Then again, that would be better than starvation or radiation. Still, I'd like to live a long life. Let's hope that's a possibility and not just wishful thinking._

**Chapter One: Appreciation**

_June 4_ _th_ ,  _2010_

"Hayden, another round of wheat cocktails on me." Kasey raised an empty glass to signal the bartender. His generosity earned him a pat on the back from Owen. Castanet used to get most of their alcohol imported, save the bit of wine that the farms were making, but ever since two years ago, getting wine imported was an impossibility. The farmlands were making their own alcohol in surplus to meet demand, not only with the citizens of Castanet but also with Hazelwood. But it was slow going. Until they caught up, alcohol wasn't cheap. Still, Kasey was making decent money, so he could afford to buy his friends a round or two.

It was Friday, but the night at the bar was winding down now and most of the regular patrons had gone home, save the stragglers. Kathy was collecting the last of the tabs and Selena was still dancing, keeping a majority of Kasey's attention. How she could do that for hours, not get tired, and still look fine as hell was beyond him. He caught himself staring at her a bit too long when the clink of a filled glass brought him back to reality.

Owen and Luke had joined him that evening and he was plenty glad for that. Before the world ended, he didn't spend much time with either of them, but over time, they became his drinking buddies. Truthfully, they were the best drinking buddies he could get, given who he had to work with. Gill rarely ever partook, Luna mostly didn't care for the bar, both Kathy and Selena were usually working during bar hours, and Calvin… Calvin was SUPPOSED to be there that night, but he no-showed  _again_.

_Great guy, but a workaholic,_ Kasey thought to himself as he took another sip of the cocktail. Wheat cocktails were nasty in his opinion, but they were pretty strong. That was the appeal at the end of the night.

"Yo Kasey, you're awesooome," Luke said, giving him a thumbs up. Kasey could tell that he was getting pretty hammered, which was kind of hilarious. Luke was an incredibly talented lumberjack and carpenter, but he had almost no tolerance for the sauce.

"Please, I know it," Kasey laughed back, "but if you really think that, you can buy the next round."

"Well, he'll have to do that some other night. We're closing in five," Hayden reminded them in a gruff bark. He looked like he had aged ten years in the past two, his thick, brown beard growing grayer by the day. "Still, you boys are my best customers, so I hope you'll understand."

"Noooo!" the blue-haired carpenter cried out, giggling slightly as his head crashed into the bar. "Just one more!" By now, his bandana was falling off his head and his hair was a mess.

"Luke, I think you had enough," Owen chimed in with a laugh. He then whispered to Kasey, "seriously, he's like the drunk chick at the party."

"He  _is_  the drunk chick at the party," the rancher joked, chuckling at his friend's notion. Between Owen and Luke, Owen was definitely the mature one. Ever since his grandfather died, he had been burdened with the care of his younger cousin and his grandfather's blacksmith business. During the days, he was pretty serious and focused, but once a week, Kasey could get him to come out and drink.

"Hey, I… I resent that!" Luke stammered, raising a hand in protest.

"Go back to sleep, you lush," Owen said, reaching over and giving Luke a slap on the back so hard that Kasey was surprised the blue-hard carpenter didn't throw up all he had drunk. After that, the blacksmith took another sip of his drink before leaning on the bar. Kasey couldn't help but look at him with envy. The guy was supremely jacked from his work and his workout routine. Looking at Owen was just depressing for him.

"Oh man, we went a bit too hard tonight," Owen groaned, rubbing his head. "I'm going to have a hard time getting up tomorrow."

"Cold shower, black coffee, and a slap across the face: that's my hangover cure. Give it a shot." Kasey was confident in his suggestion, but Owen just laughed.

"I'll keep that in mind." He sighed, rubbing his face. "Damn, why did we drink so much anyway? Is it some sort of holiday?"

"No, I don't think so." The young rancher looked over at Luke, who seemed to be completely out of it and back to Owen. As much as they loved drinking, they didn't usually go _that_  hard unless it was a special occasion. "Was it one of our birthdays? No, that's not it. It's not my birthday at least."

"What, you need a reason to drink now?" Kathy asked, having overheard the conversation. Since her shift was pretty much over, she wrapped her arms over Owen's shoulders from behind and kissed him on the cheek. "I remember when you first got here, you were drinking here almost every other night for no reason. Why the change?"

"I don't know, I'm old. I feel old, at least." Kasey drank the final part of his drink and set the glass back down, rubbing his head. "Seriously, was it an anniversary or something? Did somebody get married this time last year?"  _No, that isn't it either._  But there was an anniversary that suddenly came to mind. Technically, it wasn't for another twenty days. "Oh, that's it.  _It's June._ " It wasn't about a celebration after all. It was more about forgetting things. As far as he was concerned, the month was cursed.

"June?" Owen asked, "what's special about Ju-… oh yeah." His eyes suddenly fell. "What a buzzkill."

"I don't believe so. You still look intoxicated to me," somebody behind them said.

"Hey, I thought you said you had paperwork tonight." Kasey looked to his right to see Gill standing between him and Luke. His friend looked down at Luke, sighed, and shook his head.

"How much did you let him drink?" Gill asked, his voice chilly, but Kasey knew that he was more concerned than anything else.

"He'll be fine. Just needs to sleep it off." Kasey gave Gill a pat on his sweater-vested back. "Surprised you made it. Well, sort of made it. They're closing."

"Gill, I can mix you up a drink if you want," Kathy offered, but Gill shook his head.

"Not tonight, I need to wake up early tomorrow. But thank you." He looked back to Kasey and answered his original statement. "I got done early, but still, all that documentation lasts an eternity." Sometime during that last sentence, Gill recognized that his friend seemed upset. He was incredibly perceptive like that. "What's wrong?"

"Two years, that's what's wrong," Kasey answered in a disgruntled murmur. "You realize it's almost been two years since the nukes? That just… I don't know, it's just sad. The world frickin' died, but we barely even think about it anymore. We've grown desensitized. Here we are today, drinking like nothing happened, taking our fortune for granted. Doesn't that bother anybody?"

"Again, buzzkill," Owen muttered. "I get what you're saying, but come on."

"You know, Kasey, while I do think that you should drink a bit less on a night before work, maybe it's alright to celebrate a little bit." Gill said this with such calming sincerity that Kasey couldn't help but be baffled.

"Gill, billions of people died-"

"And we didn't," Gill reminded him. "If you ask me, that's a reason to drink, celebrate, and thank the Goddess. Look around you." Gill surveyed the bar and a small smile emerged on his face. "We're thriving. We're safe from the outside world and the radiation that's engulfed it, we have enough food to last us years, and our trade agreement with Hazelwood…" he frowned. "Admittedly, that's a bit shaky, but still." He placed his hand on Kasey's shoulder. "There is nothing wrong with mourning tragedy, but you shouldn't let it keep you from treasuring what you have."

"Yeah, you're right." Gill was always right. Sure, maybe he was a bit insensitive and cold at times, but Kasey had come to appreciate Gill's pragmatism. Even though Kasey himself was thankful for the safety he had in this town, sometimes he needed his reminder that it was okay to not constantly mourn the tragedy that had occurred. Otherwise, he'd end up like his sister. There was plenty to appreciate, and one of his favorite targets of his appreciation arrived.

"Hey boys," Selena greeted seductively as she touched Kasey's shoulder with her left hand, slowly circled him, and sat on his lap.

"Heeey Selena, you look sooo ho-" Luke passed out again before finishing his sentence.

"Hey, beautiful, you look great tonight," the rancher greeted, smiling.

Of course, Selena looked great every night, so Kasey was just stating the obvious. She was wearing one of her loose-fitting, revealing, Arabian-styled dancer's outfit that showed off her curvy assets. Kasey found himself trapped as he stared into her purplish eyes and admired her tan, virtually flawless face. Unashamed, he kissed her right there. If Molly was around, she'd probably chastise him over his public displays of affection again, but he wouldn't have cared either way.

"Hey, Selena," Owen greeted but she didn't seem to notice him or anybody else.

Instead, she leaned close to Kasey's face. He thought she was going to kiss him again, but instead, she brought her lips to his ear and whispered, " _Are we going to fuck tonight_?"

Kasey's eyebrows raised and he grinned.  _My, that was blunt, even if nobody else could hear._  "Well," he gently slid Selena off of his lap, stood up, stretched, and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I think it's time I head out. Gotta get up at six."

"Yes, I should leave too," Gill agreed, looking over at Kathy and Owen, who were also in very close proximity and then back at Kasey and Selena. "It's getting a bit too intimate for my tastes."

"Hey, you take care. We're still on for tomorrow night?" Kasey asked. Gill replied with a curt nod, and Kasey smiled back. "Owen, can you make sure Luke gets somewhere to sleep? If not home, somewhere else?"

"Don't worry about it, we might just throw him on the couch or something," Kathy answered instead, not taking her focus off of Owen.

"Good, thanks." His head turned back to Gill. "And thank you."

"For what?"

"For making me feel better." Kasey knew that Gill already knew what he was talking about, but he wanted him to hear it.

"Well, you're welcome then." Gill smiled a little again. "Go home, you need your sleep."

_Yeah, well, not gonna get much of that,_ he thought to himself as he gazed into Selena's eyes. But he figured that his friend already knew that too.

* * *

It was a beautiful night. Above the island, no clouds blocked the countless stars and the few buildings in Harmonica town that were still lit upped gave an aura of coziness. The only other person out besides Kasey and Selena was one of the night patrol (a young man who Kasey couldn't remember the name of.) There were a few men on the third shift watch that took shifts patrolling the seaside by night and since there were rarely any problems with outsiders, it was a very cushy job, save whenever they went on deliveries to The Haze. Their nights had been pretty uneventful as of late.

"Kasey, did you drink too much?" Selena asked, gripping his shoulder. "You almost tripped."

"I'm fine, I didn't have too much. Just need to walk it off." His head was spinning. The problem with drinking so much in one sitting was that he never realized how drunk he was until he stood up.

"Oh, poor baby." She turned him to face her as she held him close to her. "Should I carry you home?"

_Damn, I love that accent._  "No, I'd like to hold onto whatever dignity I have left, thanks." The funny thing was that Selena probably could carry him home if she wanted to without breaking a sweat. Maybe it was from all the dancing she did or maybe it was because she was naturally strong (almost as strong as he was, and that was with running a farm.) Even so, he wasn't  _that_  drunk.

"Oh, you think you are such a strong man," she teased as they began to walk to his place. "You won't be too tired, will you? I don't want you to sleep just yet."

"Don't worry, I got energy to spare." He gave her a squeeze between steps. Selena started talking again, mostly about her day, and as he listened, Kasey looked out into the ocean. Far away, several miles of shore, he could see the storm clouds; the ever-present storm that encircled the island. For those who could survive the radiated ocean, that storm was the last line of defense. Thankfully, it was a pretty damn good defense.

"Kasey?"

"Hmm?" he mumbled, blinking sleepily.

"Did you hear one thing I said or were you dreaming again?"

"Uh… you were talking about how your mother still wants you home?"

"Basically, yes," she giggled. "But there's no need. I'm safe here. Safe with you."

"Aw, you're making me blush," he giggled, slightly uncharacteristic. He may not have been that drunk, but he drank enough that he'd act a little bit weird.

"Are you sure that's not the alcohol?" she teased again, touching one of his cheeks.

"I guess we'll never know, will we?" By then, they reached his ranch. It was a serene place at night without the brutal sun shining down and without his animals grazing and mooing in the field. "But thank you. I don't know where I'd be without you. I've never felt this way about somebody before, you know?"

"Oh, Kasey." She turned to face him and she lightly pushed her forehead against his. It was kind of awkward, given that she was taller than him by about two inches, even when she was barefoot like she was then, but he hardly cared. "I love you." Without warning, she jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms over his shoulders. Flashing a thirsty smile, she whispered, " _now prove that you love me._ "

"I thought you'd never ask." Before he could even take another breath, her lips were on his and her tongue forced its way into his mouth

_Oh damn, she REALLY wants it tonight._  With the beautiful girl still in his arms, he took a few steps forward, fumbled for the doorknob, and entered the house. The house was warm inside, but not so warm on the summer night that it was unpleasant. However, Kasey realized pretty quickly that Molly was probably up, given that the lights were on. Between kisses, he caught Molly staring at him from the living room, a twinge of disgust on her face.

"Hey Molls, Phoebe," he greeted, still unashamed. His sister and one of her only friends on the island were sitting together on the couch, surrounded by a bunch of their blueprints. On a normal day, he would have asked them what they were designing, but for the moment, there were other things on his mind. "I figured you'd be asleep by now."

"Yeah… hi," his older sister replied, her voice dry and cold, unaffected by the greeting or her brother's pet name for her. "We were just designing… something."

"Yeah? Well, that's cool. How are you doing, Phoebe? Haven't seen you in a while."

The green-haired inventor just stared at him through her thick, red classes, mouth slightly agape, not sure what to say to the rancher that just carried his girlfriend through the front door. Not wanting to put her on the spot any longer, he just kept moving towards the stairs.

"Well, have a good night!"

"Bye, you two," Selena added playfully as they went up the stairs. At the top, Kasey took a right and arrived at his door.

His room was pretty simple. Queen-sized bed, dresser on the left, old photos of friends and family covering the walls, and a desk that was covered in papers, mostly his farm paperwork. He was falling a bit behind on that, but he knew Molly would probably help him out if he paid her a bonus. But he didn't reflect much on that since he had a beautiful woman in his arms. Gently, he loosened his grip and let her feet touch the floor. She kissed him again, slowly and far less heated than earlier. Not that he was complaining, as it was a relaxing change of pace.

"You know," Selena began as she let a hand run down his back, "I don't know why your sister doesn't like me. I haven't done anything to her."

"Eh," Kasey said, shrugging slightly. "Don't let it get to you. Molls doesn't really like anybody. Never has, save a few people. Hell, she can barely stand me."

"But she likes Phoebe, it seems."

"Yeah, well, Phoebe and Gill are the exceptions," he explained. "Probably because they're all geniuses, I bet. Birds of a feather, right?"

"Hmm…" Selena pondered out loud. "On the rare occasions I do see her, I always see her with Phoebe." Suddenly, her smile turned devilish. "They do make a pretty cute couple."

Kasey sighed, shaking his head, though in good humor. "We've been over this before. My sister is  _not_  a lesbian. I can't speak for Phoebe, but Molls... I feel like I would have figured it out by now if she was."

"Oh, how do you know?" Selena played, laughing lightly as she did, "Have you seen her with a man?"

"No, but I never saw her with a woman either. For all I know, she had boyfriends in college. Besides, even if she did like women…" He stared off into space for a moment, trying to find the right words. "I can't imagine that she'd say it out loud, especially in this town. A small, isolated, religious community... I'm not sure how well they'd handle that sort of thing. And it's not like she can go anywhere else."

"Well, whatever. Forget about her. You have more important things to worry about." Her eyes gleamed with anticipation.

"Oh yeah, like what?" he asked, returning her stare.

In response, Selena pushed him onto the bed so hard that she may as well have thrown him. He lied there, sprawling on his back and before he could move, she was already straddling his lap, leaning her torso forward so she could whisper to him. "Like how you're going to do your work when you're so sore."

Everything happened so fast. Though he didn't feel too drunk, the alcohol was definitely messing with his perception. The foreplay was still fun, regardless. He loved how strong she was, how flexible she was, how passionate she was… it was just a perfect combination. To top it all off, he was absolutely crazy about Selena. He had never been with somebody who made him feel so amazing or who understood him as well as she did.

_Damn it, not again._ She had impatiently ripped open his button-down shirt and he heard a few buttons pop off and hit the wooden floor. It wasn't a huge deal, but it would be something else he'd have to worry about later.  _Later._

"You know," he said when he had the chance to actually vocalize his concerns, "I still have to get up at six in the morning." His reminder didn't faze her at all.

"Oh, do you need me to stop?" She stuck out her lower lip, but there was no need for that.

"No, not at all. I just-"

"I missed you so much this week…" she whispered into his ear, nibbling him slightly. "I promise that you'll get a good sleep when we're through."

"I'll hold you to that," he whispered back, pulling her into another kiss. Of course, he wasn't going to stop. He was too horny to even consider it. He just knew that he'd pay for it in the morning when he woke up with a hangover and a severe lack of sleep. Still, the nights with Selena were worth it. Like Gill had said, after the world ended, it would be foolish to be unappreciative of the good things that he had left.


	3. Chapter 3

_Date: July 27_ _th_   _2008_

_So… I slept with Selena… twice. I'm not even sure how that happened. Okay, that's a lie, I sorta know how it happened. It's just a little bit hard to get my head around because I never imagined ever getting with somebody like her. I mean, I always had a thing for her, but I never thought anything would come of it. I figured we'd just be friends and I was honestly cool with that. I'd just keep her in my fantasies._

_Anyway, Selena has been incredibly moody since the nukes fell. I mean, can you blame her? We all have had our moments (some worse than others), but she kind of shut down, though not in the same way as Molls. When Molly shut down, she just stopped doing anything at all besides sleep, cry, and eat whatever food I can convince her to swallow. Selena still goes to work, but she's been so emotionally distant. Kathy told me that she hasn't been talking to her either and those two are joined at the hip._

_So, she finally started talking to me last Friday. I was at the bar for a drink and I saw her at the counter, fresh off her shift, drink in one hand, head in the other. Even though she hadn't been talking to me, I asked her what was wrong. She tells me "nothing," so I told her that if she needed to talk to me about anything, I'd be there. I didn't expect her to respond to that simple response, but she then looked me in the eyes and something just snapped within her. Maybe she realized that she could talk to me; that I was safe. Suddenly, she's started telling me everything. In addition to her grief at the world's destruction, she also starts talking to me about how her dreams of going to the mainland and making it as a famous dancer were dashed. I tried to talk to her the best I could (I already had similar conversations with Molls, now that she can't do anything with that degree of hers), but I also reminded her that no matter what, she still had her family, her friends, myself… She was crying a little, so she told me that we should keep talking in her room. We go there and she keeps talking about how I've always been good to her… this is when it got weird. Her tone takes a 180 and she started asking me what I'm so afraid of. I didn't know what she meant until she kissed me. Next thing I know, I'm in bed with her, having the best sex of my life. And I swear, I'm not exaggerating at all; it literally was the best, fucking sex I've ever had. I mean, on top of her being hot as hell and having a perfect body, she seemed to know exactly what I wanted before I even knew myself. And all those daydreams I had about her? She blew them out of the water._

_So the next morning, I had to leave her at six so I could go to work. Afterward, I met up with her in town and we get lunch. We talked about the elephant in the room and she apologetically told me that she got caught up in her emotions the night before and that she just wanted to be friends. Honestly, that's what I expected she'd want, so I was cool with it (albeit a little bit disappointed.) She told me that I should come by the bar and get a drink with her after her work so we could continue smoothing things over. I said "sure," and I went… and it just ended with us fucking again._

_So yeah, that's where I'm at right now. She went to go visit her parents today, so I haven't talked to her yet. I just want to know what this all means. Are we actually starting something here or are these casual encounters going to remain just that? Whatever the case, at the very least, I got to live out one of my fantasies. That might be a little bit objectifying of me to write, but hey, I can't wipe this grin off my face. Knowing how small this town is, people will figure out soon. I wonder how people will react… Gill will probably make a snide comment, Luna will probably yell at me, and Molls… Let's hope she says nothing. There have been a few times when I have had the opportunity to hear what she's really thinking and let's just say that "ridiculously harsh" is an understatement with her. But what's done is done, and the music isn't something that I've ever been afraid to face._

**Chapter Two: Purpose**

_June 5_ _th_   _2010_

The animals were still waking up when Kasey arrived at the barn. When they woke up, he would herd them over to the milking machines that he had installed in the spring before the war where his farmhands waited to hook them up. He was glad he splurged on them, considering how much of a pain it would have been to milk them all by hand. He had seventy or so now, alongside twenty goats, twenty sheep, his two ostriches, and a few horses, including Twister (Kathy's gray horse, who she paid him to shelter.) As for the chickens, ducks, and silkworms, he didn't know how many he had anymore. And that was only his ranch. There were plenty more animals in the farming district as a whole. There were just so many animals to work with alongside the planting, the watering, and the harvesting he had to get done.

The work would have been too much for one man, but it needed to be done for the sake of providing enough resources for Castanet and traded goods for Hazelwood. Fortunately, he had a few farm hands to lighten the load. Nine of the ten of them were those who had washed up on Castanet's shores. After the nukes fell, some people were stuck traveling abroad on boats and planes. Stranded, many of them lingered about the radiated waters with nowhere to go and no chance of getting home, assuming there was a home left to return to. Others left their dead or self-destructing homes in search of a safer place. They were welcomed at Castanet, so long as they were productive and behaved. The island's population doubled from these additions alone. The tenth worker on Kasey's ranch was Carlos, Kasey's appointed overseer, who had come from the Hazelwood Correctional and Production Facility, or "The Haze", as people referred to it as. Normally, members of the Haze were not allowed on Castanet, but Carlos was the exception to the rule. Because he had grown up on a farm back in the southern United States, his experience was invaluable. Plus, his imprisoning crime was selling marijuana; not something that people worried about on the island in those days.

For the time being, all Kasey did was brush the animals. Usually, that was Molly's job, given how easy it was and how much she detested farm work. However, she had slept in and he didn't wake her.

_Too easy on her,_  he thought to himself. But he was up at that early hour anyway. He always woke at 6 A.M., no matter how little sleep he got the night before. It was a habit that he had developed over the years and he was glad that he had. It made his job a lot easier that he didn't sleep in. Once the animals were cleaned up, it would only be a matter of time before they would wake up and need to be milked. Their food had already been taken care of too. Molly hated farm work, but she was very good at building and inventing things. Putting her skills to use, she had designed hay chutes above the trowels that connected to the silo, easing the burden of feeding every cow, goat, and sheep individually. It was pretty ingenious of her and he provided her with monetary compensation for any of her useful inventions, not that that made her feel much better. Other than that, Kasey gave her the easiest jobs there were and would also compensate her for cooking meals for the other farmhands and himself. That role seemed a bit domestic, but she enjoyed cooking. Given how miserable she was all the time, he'd do what he could to help.

He looked at his old sports watch.  _7:00 AM._ Time for breakfast before the hardest part of the day. He left the barn and returned to the house. The kitchen was deserted, dirty plates filling the sink. The farmhands had their own dwelling on the property, but a kitchen hadn't been built for them yet, so Kasey didn't mind sharing his, though he did charge them for any of his food that they used. They usually had breakfast in the morning at about 6:30 AM and would clear out by seven. There were still a few scrambled eggs sitting near the stove, but he was more concerned with something else.

_Did somebody make coffee?_  he thought to himself. Sure enough, there was a semi-fresh pot sitting out. A note was sitting next to it.

_Hello, love. I made you some coffee before I left. I hope that nobody drinks it all before you get to it. I know you said you were spending the evening with Gill, but come by the bar afterward and I'll make it worth your while._

_\- Selena_

"Aw, that was sweet of her," he murmured to himself, smiling. On the bottom of the note, somebody had scribbled in a little stick figure barfing. Selena wouldn't have liked that, but he chuckled. He had come to expect that sort of thing from his staff. And while half of the coffee had already been taken, he had no problem drinking the rest. Anything to nullify the mild hangover he had.

"Kasey!"

_Ugh, not so loud._  He lazily turned around to see his sister was walking up to him. As per usual, she looked tired and irritated. As he studied her face, he could see a visible twitch under her left eye and that her hair was a mess.  _What's wrong this time?_

"Kasey," she started to say in evident frustration, "what is this?" She held out her brush, practically pushing it into his face.

_Is this a trick question?_ "It's your hairbrush. What do I win?" He took a sip of the coffee that he had poured. It wasn't as warm as he would have liked. Unfortunately, not only had the coffee cooled, but Molly had not yet done so.

"Yes, it's  _my_ hairbrush!" she affirmed, turning it in her hands so he could see the bristles. "And do you see what's in it?"

"Hair?" Suddenly, he realized where this was going.  _This again? Really?_

"Red hair!" He could see that. The red hair in the brush was obviously a different color from Molly's brunette locks. She slammed the brush against the kitchen counter and her angry face now had a similar hue of red as Selena's hair. "I told you before, I don't want her using my stuff!"

He sighed a heavy sigh, drinking more of his coffee. "Can we do this when my head doesn't hurt?" But it was as if she didn't hear him.

"Kasey!"

"Okay, look, I told her before that you don't like her using your stuff, but I can't help it if she does or not." Selena got up when he did, but he had to go out and start his morning work, leaving her in the house alone to shower, dress, and leave.

"Well, it obviously didn't work," she growled.

"Then I don't know what you want me to do. If you want to tell her, maybe-" He stopped mid-sentence to touch his aching head. "I don't get what the big deal is. It's just hair! You can pick it out."

"I shouldn't have to!" Molly shouted back with no concern for his hangover. "And besides, it's the principle of the thing! You just let her in and she acts like she owns everything she touches. I'm sick of it!"

"Oh come on, you act like you have it so bad here." He put his cup down and turned to face her, though he was still slumped. He was too tired to lecture her back, but he was going to damn well try. "You slept in, but I didn't mention it. I give you the easiest jobs and I let you trade those jobs in for building stuff that we need, which you actually enjoy, but you still complain. I have no idea what you want from me, Molls, because I'm trying."

"Trying!? Try- Urgh!" She clenched her fist tightly and held it against her face like she was trying to forcibly hold her anger inside. She started taking slow breaths and the color of her face lost its red hue. Through strained words, she finally spoke again. "Look… You know I appreciate everything you've done."

"Molls, we're family," Kasey reminded, touching her shoulder, but she pushed his hand away. She wasn't feeling  _that_ much better.

"And Kasey, I get that this is your house and your ranch," she continued, now sounding drained from her original outburst. "You can do whatever you want. If you want to sleep with girls like Selena, I'm not going to do anything more than roll my eyes. I just want to have a few things that are mine, you know? Hell, even if she pulled her hair out of the brush afterward, I'd feel better. I mean, even the  _illusion_  that I own something would be nice…"

Kasey sighed. He hated seeing his sister upset all the time, though he was surprised he hadn't been desensitized to her complaints by then. "Okay, I'll talk to her again, alright Molls?"

"Okay, thanks." She didn't look too sure of him though. She knew already that things probably wouldn't change, even if Kasey asked.

"So, I got most of the brushing done. Just find something to do, I guess. Watering, cleaning the coop, I don't know. Ask Carlos."

"You say my name, boss?" A tan-skinned man had entered the kitchen. Carlos, Kasey's appointed overseer, entered the room. He was already sweating from the early morning sun and he brought that smell with. He was a bit taller than Kasey and a bit older too, closer to Molly's age, and with his shaved head, hardened face, and tattooed arms, he looked like a scary individual. But Kasey knew that he was a decent, hardworking, knowledgeable guy and that was all he cared about.

"Yeah, just saying how well you've done this week." He gave Molly a pat on the shoulder and she started walking to the door. "Hey, Molls?"

"Yeah?" she asked, wearily.

"You said this is my ranch. It can be yours too."

She looked at him for a few seconds before frowning, shaking her head, and leaving.

"Did I interrupt something?" Carlos asked as he stepped further into the kitchen.

"Nah, same old same old with her. You know how it is." He took another sip from his mug.

"Yeah, I can tell. You look tired already," he chuckled. "She drain you that much?"

"No, I didn't get much sleep and I'm a bit hungover." He looked over at the scrambled eggs that had gone cold. "I'll be out in a minute after I eat. Remind me, we don't have anything huge today, no?"

"Just plowing a few new rows, but yeah, pretty typical. Should be an easy day."

"Good, good, let's hope so." Too bad that on a ranch, easy was still strenuous.

* * *

The day was pleasantly sunny, but not too scorching. Kasey took a quick break from plowing a new row to look over his domain. Already, some of his vegetables were sprouting, thanks to the care they were given. In the distance, he could see his cattle grazing, being watched over by Boomer, his loyal sheepdog. Despite the nice weather, everybody was sweating from the amount of outside work they had been doing. Kasey himself was stripped down to one of his old pair of jeans, a grey tank top, and a long piece of cloth that he had wrapped around his left bicep. He grinned with pride and admiration when looking over his successful enterprise.

Sinatra Ranch had made the transition from a small, family farm to a profitable machine within the past two years. After the nukes fell, Hamilton sold the surrounding land to Kasey at dirt cheap prices, telling him that they needed him to grow more food for the sake of survival. He now had an entire field devoted to growing fodder for the animals which doubled as a grazing ground for them. Another plot north of his house was devoted to growing fruit trees, although his miniature orchard was not old enough to produce much fruit. The rest of his land was devoted to growing crops, though he was a bit upset by what he was growing in bulk alongside the usual crops: coffee beans and tobacco. It seemed as though everybody was willing to pay good money for coffee since no outside supplier existed. As for the tobacco, not many people on Castanet smoked the stuff, but a lot of the people living at The Haze did, and they were willing to put a high trade value on the stuff, despite it not having the nicotine many of them craved. At the end of the day, money was money, but Kasey never thought that tobacco would be the crop to make him successful. The only problem was that there were so many crops to water by hand. He had asked Molly if she and Phoebe could put their heads together and put together some sort of sprinkler system, but he didn't know if they were doing that or not.

His animal revenue had increased as well. With the number of workers he had, he was able to take care of many more animals, essentially making a lot more money. But because he didn't have the biggest ranch or farm on the island, most of the food he grew and raised would end up going into storage or traded for the materials that were available in Hazelwood. Whatever worked for the island, he figured. He had come a long way from being a clumsy farmer with a harvest sprite screaming instructions into his ear.

He looked at his watch to see that it was 4:30.  _Quitting time._ It wasn't his night to herd the animals back inside for the evening and milk them again and the watering was covered. Thanks to the number of employees he had, it was easy to call it a night. Hell, he even was able to take Sundays off, thanks to his employee count. That wasn't something he could do before. Everybody else had days off too, but he doubted they'd appreciate it as he did after working seven days a week like he used to.

After checking to make sure that he was good to go, he went back inside to finally take that well-deserved shower, have a light bite to eat, and change into some decent clothes. When he saw that it was 5:00, something reminded him of his shirt that Selena ripped the buttons off of.  _Better bring that too._ After spending a few minutes finding where all the buttons had rolled the night before, he was ready to go when he felt something scratching at his ankles.

"Hey, Ronnie, where have you been?" He knelt down to give the little, brown weasel a scratch behind the ears, which his pet happily accepted. A few weeks after that fateful day, he found the young weasel in Fugue Forest, abandoned by his parents. He ended up bringing him home and taking care of him, but when it was time to release him back into the wild, the young weasel didn't want to leave. Since he got along with Boomer so well, Kasey decided to keep Ronnie.

_Ronnie._  He remembered the conversation he had with Molly when they were naming him.

" _How about Ron?"_  she had asked him.

" _Ron?"_

" _Ron, you know, as in Ronald Weasel!... Get it?"_

"…  _That's really stupid."_

But since the weasel managed to do the impossible in perking his sister up when she felt incredibly low, he decided to compromise on the name "Ronnie."

"Here, you can come with me." He found the weasel's leash next to the door and the two left for Harmonica Town.

The walk to town wasn't very long, especially with the weasel eagerly pulling on the leash. The bustle of town had died down in the late afternoon. With the increase in the town's population, there were a few more people on the streets, though not by much. In many ways, very little had changed, other than the fact that people seemed to be more stressed with the unknown. That was why stress relief was vital, so everybody would stay sane.

"Beautiful afternoon, Mr. Mayor!" Kasey greeted with a quick wave as he passed the portly Hamilton The old mayor was wearing one of his trademark blue suits and had his gray hair styled in an upward pointed curl. When Kasey first saw the man, he thought he looked like somebody straight out of Whoville, but he didn't know if most of the original islanders would have understood that reference, so he never made mention of it.

"Yes, indeed," the mayor nodded, waving back in a way that was almost frantically happy. "Don't tire yourself out in this heat!"

_This is nothing compared to July and August._  Still, he nodded politely but didn't stay to chat, since his pet weasel wouldn't stop pulling on his leash. It was like he knew where Kasey had planned to go. Finally, they reached Sonata Tailoring. The little shop looked adorable from the outside, sitting on the corner of the ocean-side street, sort of like a giant wafer, though after a long day of work, everything reminded the young rancher of food. Though the shop had closed, he had visited enough to feel comfortable with just walking in. The inside of the shop was filled with clothes, and in the corner was the blue-haired tailor was busy with her sewing machine. She didn't even see him come in.

"Candace!" he greeted enthusiastically. She hadn't seen him come in, so his booming voice startled her.

"Oh, K-Kasey." It wasn't the first time he had startled her like this, but her reaction remained unchanged, her cheeks pinkening after being startled. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't see you c-come in."

"It's alright, I just wanted to drop in and say hi." With that, he leaned forward, planting his elbow on the table she was working at and his chin in his palm. "And might I say, you look absolutely lovely today."

"Oh Kasey, you're…" She covered the part of her face that wasn't already covered by her bangs with her hands. She obviously was uncomfortable with the compliment, and Kasey knew that it was time to back off, but before he could, he was reprimanded.

"Kasey, quit harassing my sister!"

Before Kasey could tell what was going on, Luna seemingly appeared out of nowhere, glaring holes into his face with her angry, sapphire eyes. She was wearing one of her favorite dresses: a slightly off-color white dress with pink ribbons that matched the flower barrettes in her pink, pigtailed hair. She looked cute, but her appearance didn't match her biting personality at all.

"What? I was just saying hi-"

"Sure you were, come on!" She gripped Kasey's wrist and with surprising strength for somebody her size, she dragged him out of the shop and into the living area of the building (an amazing feat for a girl who wasn't even five feet tall). As usual, the living room and kitchen were clean with the faint smell of soap in the air.

"It's good to see you," she said, her voice calming significantly.

Kasey smiled. "Thanks, Luna. I-"

"I was talking to Ronnie," she bluntly interrupted as she reached down to scoop up the weasel. The pet squirmed for a few seconds before comfortably adjusting himself to her grasp. Luna looked back up at Kasey and frowned again. "Why do you have to do that?"

"Do what?" he asked, playing innocent.

"You know what," she snapped. "Making Candace uncomfortable like that. You know how she is."

He sighed. "You always say that she needs to be more social. I thought a little flattery-"

"You thought wrong." She put Ronnie back on the ground, letting him explore the house, before meeting his gaze again, that time, a small smile making its way onto her face. The two of them loved the banter they shared and she especially loved giving him the business. "You are such an idiot sometimes, Kasey. It's amazing that you can function at all."

"Hey, I started a ranch and rang those bells, didn't I? I like to think that I'm more than capable."

"Dumb luck," she answered, almost automatically. "What are you doing here anyway? We're not supposed to meet with Gill for another twenty minutes or so. You know how punctual he is."

"What, I'm not allowed to get someone on one time with you now?" he jested, crossing his arms as if he was offended.

"Of course you can, but you've brought me one of your shirts, so I assume you're here for something else," she pointed out, motioning to his button-down.

"Fair enough." He held the shirt out for her. "Buttons. A few of them came off last night, so-"

"Again?" She took the shirt from him, meticulously inspecting each of the buttons and their respective holes. "Three buttons and two tears. Easy fix." She gave him the look; that sassy "are you serious?" look. "You know that you could probably do this yourself, right? You don't need to waste my time with this sort of thing."

"What, you don't want to see me? Or do you not want my money?" Kasey teased, but she kept giving him that look. "Besides, I can't sew. You know that."

"This isn't rocket science, you know," she replied, free hand on her hip. "It's just some buttons and tears. You could do this if you weren't a lazy bum."

"Lazy? You know what I do for a living, right? Besides..." He decided to piss her off even more, just for fun. "I'd rather pay somebody with delicate, girl fingers to do it for me. Ten times easier."

He lost a small bit of wind when she punched him in the stomach. She was so small that it didn't hurt all that much, but it still stung. He laughed it off, though, especially when he saw her smiling.

"Fine, pig," she chuckled to herself. She shook her head and walked over one of the sewing tables. Kasey watched her over his shoulder, amazed at how nimble her fingers were as she stitched the one tear together faster than he ever could if he had bothered to learn how she did it. "You know, I am glad you came by."

"Another boring day?" Kasey guessed. He was right.

"Yeah. Work jeans, work shirt, work shirt, work jeans, ugly work jacket..." Luna shook her head as she announced the day's orders in the order she completed them. "We did get a dress order, but of course, Grandma gave it to Candace. She always gives the good stuff to Candace." A long sigh followed. She fixed one of the buttons and began the other. "I miss when people wanted clothes for something other than work."

"Yeah, well I miss the days when the main product of my farm wasn't something that people smoked." He shrugged. "Whatever, money's money, right?"

"Maybe if you lack passion. I know I'm better than this. I know what we do is important, but I hate this so much." She had finished her work and handed it over to Kasey. "10 g."

"Done." He handed her a ten-piece, which was worth very little, though it was still money he could have saved if he learned to sew.

"You know, if you ever want to learn how to sew basic stuff like this, I'll teach you. You could definitely pick it up," she offered, no teasing in her tone this time.

"Thanks." He probably wouldn't take her up on that offer though. Luna gave him the business all the time, but he knew she liked his appreciation. Anything to make her feel useful when her work bored her so much.

"Or maybe, you should stop letting Serena abuse your clothes," Luna snarked, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrow.

"What?" He knew his face already gave away the truth, but he kept playing dumb. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Kasey, you pass my house every time on your way home from the bar. I could hear the two of you last night. You get really loud when you drink, you know. Nobody around here gets a full night's sleep when you're drinking."

"Okay, you caught me," he admitted with a chuckle, holding his hands up. "But that doesn't prove she did it."

"Every time you come in with a dress shirt to be mended, it's following you and Selena talking way too loud on your way home. I highly doubt that correlation is insignificant," his friend answered, arms still crossed.

Kasey shrugged, smiling with false innocence. "What can I say? We like it rough."

"Gross, too much information," Luna said, adding a fake gag for emphasis. "But hey, if that means you'll be bringing me more clothes to mend, I guess it's good for business."

The silence that followed as defining. Kasey wasn't exactly sure what could possibly be going through Luna's head as she was looking out the window. It was as if she was entranced by the storms in the distance. Not as if those storms were anything new. They had been there for almost two years.

"You know, I really think you should try giving Selena another chance," Kasey suggested softly. "I'm not saying you need to be besties with her or anything, but you two have more in common than you think."

"Yeah, sure Kasey, I'll think about it," Luna answered, unconvincingly. But she did make eye contact with him and smiled before changing the topic. "Do you want to get something to eat before movie night?"

"Nah, we don't have time. I was just gonna have tea tonight…" His eyes widened as he sniffed the air, smelling something delicious. "Unless you baked cookies. Is that chocolate I smell?" Chocolate was a rarity on Castanet those days. He still grew cocoa beans on his farm, but because it wasn't an essential product, the farms grew very little, meaning that the prices were high and the taste was precious. People seemed to be more concerned with essential food, coffee, alcohol, and if you lived in The Haze, tobacco.

"I figured you'd want them," Luna said, smiling. "It's the last bit of chocolate I have right now, so you better have a few."

"Any special occasion?"

"No, just felt like it," she answered, smiling warmly. "I know you like my baking."

"I do…" Almost enough to indenture him to servitude over the desserts she baked. Without thinking, he gave her a tight hug.

"Hey, you mind not breaking my spine?" Luna gasped, laughing some.

"What's the magic word?" he asked, laughing.

"Please! Please don't kill me, you ass!"

"Fine, fine!" He let go, feeling elated. For the past twenty-four hours, he felt so many waves of emotion, so he just had to cherish the moments like those when he almost forgot that he lived on one of the few places on earth that didn't suck.

* * *

The three of them sat around the elegant, mahogany table, each with a cup of herbal tea and a tiny dish of cookies in front of them. It wasn't a part of movie night or anything, but tea time, whether it be morning, afternoon, or evening, was something that Gill and Luna had engaged in long before Kasey joined them. Before the world ended, it was something that they did at least once per week when they wanted to catch up. Following the nukes, it was an attempt to maintain some sort of normalcy. It was a pretty easy activity. All one needed were herbs and hot water, and since Gill dabbled in herbology, he always had great flavors to offer… unless one didn't have a taste for tea.

Kasey was one of those people. Tea was okay but super dull, and the only things he really enjoyed drinking were coffee, alcohol, and water in between. But for Gill and Luna, he was happy to partake. Plus, Luna's cookies made everything sweeter. Meanwhile, Ronnie was sleeping near the fireplace. Even though no fire was burning in the summer, he slept next to fireplaces out of habit, just in case somebody were to light a fire.

"And that was the extent of my week, really," Gill sighed, following a brief explanation of his desk work at the mayor's office. "Honestly, things have been pretty calm as of late. I guess that's a good thing."

"Never a good sign," Kasey said, scarfing down one of Luna's cookies and smiling as the chocolate met his tongue. "Whenever things get too quiet, that's when things get worse, right?"

"Not true," Gill replied, shaking his head. "When my grandfather was mayor, this town experienced an economic boom that lasted nearly twenty years. Sometimes, good things last."

"Let's hope so. My home is right on the water. If anybody breaches the storm, I'm the first to go," Luna said, half-joking, but slightly pale as she reminded herself of that small chance.

"Nothing breaches the storm. Not unscathed, at least," Gill reminded her. "Besides, we have lookouts on the docks and there hasn't been an intruder-related death yet. As long as we give Wizard and Witch what they want, we'll be safe."

"I don't trust that," Luna replied, sipping her tea. "I guess I trust Wizard. He's quiet and doesn't cause problems. That witch though-"

"She's nice. Kind of a bitch, but nice overall," Kasey answered. He didn't go into details, but he was actually low-key friends with Witch. She wasn't always nice and could be a bit spiteful, but she was ultimately kind to the few people she liked… though her support of the island wasn't out of any fondness for the humans who lived there.

"Honestly, it doesn't surprise me at all to hear you say that," Luna sighed. "Of course you're friends with the creepy witch who lives in the woods."

"I'm friends with everybody," Kasey laughed with a shrug. "You ever consider trying that? Kindness and-"

"Shut up!" Luna shouted, throwing a cookie at Kasey's face, only for him to snatch it right out of the air.

"Don't mind if I do," he chuckled, scarfing that one down too.

"Manners," Gill said sternly, narrowing his eyes at both of his guests. "If I wanted this kind of behavior, I would have invited Luke."

"He deserved it…" Luna mumbled, though she couldn't hide her grin.

"What about you, Kasey? We didn't have much time to talk this week," Gill continued. "How is your sister?"

"Ranch is fine. Work is monotonous. My sister… crazy. As always." That wasn't nice, but he had been saying it so much that Gill and Luna expected it of him. "Seriously, no matter what I do, she's never happy." Though really, she had always been uptight like that. "How do you make somebody who's always complaining NOT do that? You know I've tried everything."

"She probably needs to get laid," Luna suggested in deadpan.

"You know, sex is great, but I'm pretty sure that's not gonna solve the problem," Kasey snickered. He looked over to see that Gill had just got done rolling his eyes at such a suggestion.

"I never said it would solve the problem," Luna laughed. "Just that it might help, since she's such a sourpuss. I mean, if you've tried everything else, maybe she-"

"Yeah, good luck finding anybody on this island who'd be willing to do that." Kasey struggled to think of anybody who'd be willing to put up with his sister's baggage, even just for one night. Plus, he didn't think she was capable a one night stand. Sleeping with her was probably the gateway to a bigger commitment, given how needy she was.

"What about one of your farmhands?" Luna suggested. "That Carlos guy is single, right? He's pretty-"

"Not her type," Kasey cut her off. Molly didn't care for Carlos, in fact, she didn't care for anybody except Phoebe and Gill.

"Well, that's just my suggestion until you can think of something better" Luna finished with a shrug.

"Funny enough, that was Selena's suggestion too," Kasey said, teasing Luna with a cocky grin. "Told you that you two are more alike than you think."

"Selena said that too?" Her face sickened. "I take it back. It's a horrible idea. Forget I said anything."

"Dismissing this  _lovely_  idea that you two are discussing, I agree with Kasey that his sister's problems run far deeper than carnal pleasures," Gill stated, seemingly unphased by the subject that he typically avoided. "Kasey, following the destruction of Earth, what's the difference between you and your sister?"

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Kasey asked. "She's still smarter than me, but she's miserable to be around… Then again, she's always been like that, but it's worse these days."

"And why is that?" Gill asked. "What makes her worse to be around?"

"Our…" He shook his head. " _Her_  family is gone and she's stuck on a ranch when she'd rather be anywhere else."

"And you love that ranch," Gill stated. "You love it here too, and despite the changes we've made, you still love living in Castanet, correct?"

"You're right," Kasey agreed. "I never wanted to leave."

"There you have it," Gill answered. "You love it here. She doesn't. Do you really think that a brilliant woman with an inventive mind and an electrical engineering degree wants to be trapped in a place like this?"

"Hey, I try to get her involved in stuff like that," Kasey protested. "She and Phoebe-"

"I'm sure you've tried, but there is only so much you can do. What ultimately leads to a person feeling happy and fulfilled?" Gill questioned.

Kasey was trying to find the right word, but Luna beat him to it.

"Purpose."

"That's right," Gill agreed, nodding. "Molly lacks purpose, and the grief she feels over the loss of her loved ones doesn't help either. We can do what we can to help, but ultimately, she'll have to find her own way as we have. Personally, I take pride in my work and knowing that I am benefiting Castanet. It's not easy, but it gives me purpose."

"Right." Kasey didn't know why he hadn't seen it sooner. Maybe it was because he "lacked introspection" as Gill had once put it. But maybe that was why he was so optimistic. He had always been easy to please and maybe that was what helped him. Even after the end of the world, he had everything he needed and wanted on Castanet.

"Right…" Luna agreed, her voice trailing as she looked off to the side.

"Right," Gill said himself. "Now, it's Kasey's turn to pick the movie tonight, so-"

"Crap, really?" Luna asked, snapping back to attention with disappointment. "You pick the worst stuff."

"Or you have zero taste," Kasey shot back, ready to catch another cookie if Luna decided to throw one at him. He was suddenly intent on picking something that he knew Luna would hate, just to irk her. It was the little things like that which gave him joy.

* * *

Gill was one of those people who only had one setting, and his setting was "serious". For as long as Kasey knew him, Gill never almost deviated from that state of mind. That wasn't to say that Gill couldn't have fun. That wasn't to say that he couldn't make a joke or be sarcastic. But even so, it was rare to ever see Gill out of his element when everything he did made him seem like the most uptight, no-nonsense person on the island, if not Earth (or what was left of Earth, at least.)

But there were a few exceptions. Despite is stiff demeanor, Gill had a fondness for science-fiction, especially the really cheesy stuff.

" _It's an amusing genre. There really isn't much to say about it,"_ he had told Kasey years before.

Kasey had found out about Gill's guilty pleasure not long after he arrived at Castanet. One day when he was visiting the mayor's son, Kasey uncovered the man's collection of movies and books he had hidden under his bed after a brief "investigation" (but really, he was just snooping.) At first, Gill was both embarrassed and furious at Kasey's discover, but his tone quickly changed when he found out that Kasey wasn't judging him for it. In fact, Kasey had something to share: dumb movies of his own.

One of the few possessions that Kasey brought with him from the mainland was his laptop. He didn't have much money at the time, so for entertainment, he had a friend illegally download as many movies as he could onto his hard drive and a few external drives. He was thankful he brought it with him to the island, given the limitations to television and internet at Castanet at the time, and he was even more thankful for it following the end of the world, as it was a limitless source of entertainment… that was until his laptop would eventually stop working. With luck, maybe someday they would be able to open trade with a bigger, high-tech community and he could get his files onto a newer laptop, but he realized how unlikely that was. So, he only used it to watch movies as sparingly as possible. He kept it at Gill's house and its existence was only known to a few of their friends. After all, if everybody else knew of the laptop and its absurd number of movies, everybody else would want to watch it. And if everybody else wanted to watch it, the laptop would wear out even quicker and all of its contents would be lost. So, they kept it a secret. It was selfish, yes, but the way Kasey saw it, it was his property (technically, stolen property, but who really cared about stolen movies in the current state of the world), so he could do with his property as he pleased. Besides, for all he knew, his laptop could have been one of the last remaining bastions of culture. It was worth preserving just in case he had the opportunity to transfer the movies to another format.

The laptop was connected to the TV mounted on the wall in the den while Kasey (with Ronnie sleeping on his lap), Gill, and Luna watched from the couch, sharing a bowl of lightly seasoned popcorn. Like the movies, popcorn was also a rare commodity, as the corn grown specifically for popcorn was produced on the island, but only in short supply. They only ate it on movie night and in small amounts. It was one of those things Kasey would have taken for granted long ago. Before everything changed, snacking on popcorn and watching a movie were easily accomplished activities. How things had changed, that movie night was considered a luxury.

"This movie makes no sense," Luna said, breaking the silence among the trio.

"What? I… I think it's pretty straight forward," Kasey answered, not taking his eyes off the old black and white film he had picked. It was an obscure movie, but that was why he picked it.

"No, it's…" She sighed, breathing in before her rant. "So, this guy's girlfriend gets killed, so he puts her head in a tray and decides to keep her alive, even though she doesn't want to be kept alive. And there's a disfigured monster living in the closet who she's telepathically linked to because- Gill, are you even following this?"

"Vaguely," Gill replied in a soft voice. Kasey looked over to see a small smile on Gill's face, but Luna seemed far less amused.

"Seriously, you have good movies on your laptop, but we're watching  _this._  Why this? Why do you guys even like movies like this? What's the point?"

"I don't know. Gill, there's more to this movie than dumb sci-fi, right?" Kasey asked, looking for some sort of support against Luna's attack.

"Well, I suppose there is something here," Gill admitted. "There's probably some commentary here on the dangers of playing God, as well as a message about how intelligent people driven to irrationality by emotion can make horrendous and cruel decisions…" The serious tone Gill had taken was no predictor for what he said next, as he smiled wider than usual. "But Luna's right; it's just a movie. And a poorly written one at that."

"Thank you!" Luna exclaimed, throwing her hands up and smugly grinning at Kasey. "Looks like I'm right."

"Damn it, Gill! You're supposed to take my side on this shit," Kasey laughed, but he'd get over it. At the end of the day, they were having a good time. Even Luna, despite her complaints. Besides, as long as she sat through the current movie, she'd get to pick the next one. Knowing her, she'd also pick a romcom. Not nearly as fun. But he'd have fun anyway. He always had good movie nights with them. Usually just them. Molly would sometimes come, but unless it was Harry Potter or something equally fantasy-themed, she wasn't interested and she killed the mood with her negativity. And Selena… not only was Selena not into movies to begin with, but it was always awkward and silent when she was around Luna. He would invite her, but she wouldn't come anymore. And while he'd love for her to be around, maybe it was for the best. Three was the right-sized crowd.

As that thought crossed his mind, Kasey heard a noise from the other room. If he had to guess, it was either Gill's cat or his father, though likely the latter. Nothing Hamilton did was all that subtle.

"Oh… I thought he was going to be home later," Gill commented, sounding slightly distressed.

"Should we turn down the volume?" Kasey asked. "Maybe if he wants to sleep-"

"Gill! Are you still-" Hamilton had entered the den, finding the three of them there. The mayor looked a little confused. Kasey wasn't sure why; it wasn't as if he had never seen a movie night before.

"Hey, Mister Mayor," Kasey greeted, though he was seemingly ignored.

"Gill…" the Mayor said, his face falling. Even after the end of the world, it was rare to see the mayor looking less than go-lucky.

"Father… I figured you'd be out later…" Gill said, almost sounding disappointed.

"Gill, will you come to the kitchen for a moment?" the mayor asked.

"Can it wait?" Gill asked.

"No. Now," the mayor implored sternly.

"Fine… Excuse me, you two." Without delaying any longer, Gill stood up and left the room, leaving Kasey and Luns to watch the B-movie without him.

"That… that was weird," Kasey said, looking at the doorway Gill exited through. What was so important that Hamilton needed to drag Gill away from the middle of the movie? "What do you think that was about?"

"Who knows. Mayor stuff?"Luna guessed, shrugging. "He's lucky, getting to skip this movie for a few minutes."

"Right…" Kasey would have accepted Luna's answer, had it not been for the sound of voices coming from the other room. They were hushed and if Kasey hadn't already been curious, he probably wouldn't have heard them at all.

_No, it's none of my business._ Kasey knew Gill would scold him for snooping around in his business again, but he couldn't help himself. His hunch was that this was probably something serious and he wanted to see what it was all about.

"Hey, I'm going to the bathroom. Can you watch Ronnie for me?" he whispered, picking up the sleeping weasel and placing him on Luna's lap.

"Sure, but don't ask me to tell you what happens in this movie, because I've already tuned out," Luna whispered, taking another handful of popcorn with one hand while stroking Ronnie's fur with the other.

"Fair enough. Your loss," Kasey chuckled, standing up and leaving the room. Into the main room, he kept going until he reached the doorway of the kitchen where he stopped just shy of being in sight.

" _And I'm telling you, it's a non-issue,"_ Gill said in a low voice.

" _Do you think this behavior is becoming of a leader of this town?"_ Hamilton asked, his voice surprisingly harsh. Kasey almost doubted what he had heard. Over the past two years, he had seen the mayor display a far more serious demeanor mixed in with the optimism. Hearing the mayor sound angry about something? It was out of character.

" _What, watching a movie with friends is so unbecoming? Would it be better if I got sloppy at the bar once a week like-"_

" _Hold your tongue! I'm still your father."_

" _I've done everything that was expected of me in the office this_  week, Gill shot back. _I've made public appearances every evening. What more do I need to do to appease your paranoia? Nobody actually cares."_

" _Maybe not if you were an ordinary citizen, but how do you think the rest of town would react if they were to find out that you were hoarding countless movies on a hard drive? Or what if they were to take you less seriously if they knew about the kinds of things you do behind closed doors? This may not have mattered two years ago, but it matters now. The last thing we need is to lose our connection with the townsfolk!"_

" _You are delusional,"_ Gill spat.

" _Am I?"_ Hamilton asked, sounding offended.  _"What if something happens to me and you need to work in my stead? If people see weakness or untrustworthiness, they will turn on you. Turn on us. You know Cain has been gunning for this job for years and we live in dire times. One wrong move and control falls into the wrong hands. Or worse, Hazelwood… we have been walking a fine line with them for some time now. If we aren't cautious-"_

" _I'm always cautious. More so than you have ever been. I've been carrying your time in office for years now, so if anybody knew that, it would be-"_

" _Enough! Have you forgotten respect?"_

There was a long silence if Kasey had to guess, they were probably glaring at each other, even though he couldn't imagine Hamilton holding such an expression for even a second.

" _I will not make a big deal of this tonight."_ Hamilton continued, " _only because we don't need your friends gossiping about us. But you had best think about how your actions may affect us."_

" _Right…"_ Gill replied, sounding exhausted.

Kasey knew he had to bail before he was caught spying, so quickly, he tiptoed away back to the den. The movie was still playing and Luna had fallen asleep, Ronnie still on her lap. He was feeling tired himself, but he didn't need to go just yet. Sundays were his day off, meaning Carlos would oversee the ranch for the day. He planned on spending it with Selena. If he was lucky, they could kick off his day off in a few hours if he could catch her after her shift.

Even though he was tired, another thing keeping him awake and alert was what he'd just heard. What were Gill and Hamilton even talking about? Did Hamilton think that Gill having a movie night would somehow hurt them in the office? It was silly to consider in Kasey's opinion, but then again, he didn't play the political game. But he was smart enough to know that the while their ecosystem was pretty stable, who knew what could tilt it. For that reason, he would keep what he had heard to himself. He hated gossip; it had gotten him in trouble before and he knew that stirring the pot had its consequences.

"Did I miss anything?" Gill asked as he returned to the room, carrying a glass of water with him.

"No, not much. Like you said, it's just a dumb movie, right?" he asked, forcing a very fake sounding chuckle. He took a moment to analyze Gill's face. If Hamilton had made Gill upset, Gill was very good at hiding it. No matter how he was feeling, Gill was almost always stone-faced, save the occasional smile. "Everything okay with the mayor?"

"Hmm? Yes, nothing but a concern about taxes. Nothing to concern yourself with."

Had Kasey not listened in, he would never have guessed that Gill was lying. So, he nodded and they continued to watch the movie in silence. He had no idea what was happening. And he wouldn't for a long time. And when he finally did know what was going on, he'd feel just as powerless as he did in his current ignorance.


End file.
